The Link Between Pornography and Depression

Pornography is visual or printed material containing explicit displays of naked body parts conducting erotic actions such as sexual gestures or intercourse.

Depression is a common and serious medical illness that negatively affects your mental state, and in most cases, brings your mood to a complete low, making you feel sad and hopeless.

While pornography and depression may not seem related, research suggests the two subjects may share more in common than you think.

In fact, a recent study indicates a significant relationship between mental health and pornography use, which included behaviors reflecting behavioral addictions, highlighting the potential contribution of internet pornography to negative mental health amongst several university students.

What Causes the Connection?

“Individuals do not turn to porn because they are depressed,” says Eddie Capparucci, PhD, LPC, CSAS of Abundant Life Counseling. “They turn to porn to escape the negative emotions that come from being depressed.” He adds that perhaps many individuals who wind up addicted to pornography have been dealing with a low-grade depression most of their lives.

A lack of learned practices to deal with pain and discomfort is something that Capparucci believes is a major issue for people that struggle with porn addiction. Porn, in a sense, is a means of escaping their distress.

Porn’s Impact on Depression

Although there is little research that indicates pornography directly triggers depression, there are several potential links that have been discussed in the literature. First, there is a causal link between the body’s chemistry and a malfunctioning reward system that occurs with any addiction or compulsive behavior. There are also indirect influences on depression caused by feelings such as guilt and shame, as well as relationship problems and loneliness that can arise from viewing sexual content or porn addiction.

Is porn, however, a good escape when depressed? According to Gabrielle Usatynski, LPC, at Power Couples Education, yes and no:

“Low serotonin levels are one of the key chemical imbalances linked to depression,” she says. She adds that having an orgasm can trigger the release of serotonin, “making you feel peaceful and relaxed. Orgasm also gives you a surge of dopamine, another key neurotransmitter that is in short supply with depression.”

“People get addicted to porn, but they also then develop a tolerance for it, just like they do for drugs, which leads to a consequent reduction in pleasure every time they use it,” Usatynski explains. “In other words, you need more and more dopamine, more and more stimulation, in order to produce that pleasurable result. This is why over time, watching porn can make your depression worse.”

Another reason pornography can lead to depression is related to the shame and guilt that some feel about this particular activity. This is often rooted in spiritual beliefs, especially with religions that view porn as a sin or a moral failure.

Perhaps it is your partner who finds your porn-viewing activity distressing, and it is causing strain in your relationship. Your partner may feel more self-conscious and worry they are not enough for you, This can sometimes impact the degree of intimacy and satisfaction between couples, and can even destroy relationships.

What Are The Signs It Is Too Far and Too Much?

Here are Capparucci’s defining actions that will help a person recognize when porn has negatively impacted their lives:

• They rather isolate and watch porn instead of socializing.
• They become dissatisfied with their partner’s appearance.
• They are preoccupied with sexual thoughts throughout the day, and they cannot wait to see what new visuals have been updated on their favorite porn site.
• They see sex as nothing more than a physical act that involves no emotional intimacy.
• They take more risks and may start searching for porn at work or when their partner may be able to catch them.
• They find themselves objectifying people more.
• They start desiring to seek out different sexual activities or may escalate to acting out what they see in porn with people.

Getting Help

Soumya Choudhary, clinical neuropsychologist and head of research at Behavidence, believes acknowledging that there is a problem is always the first step—and then finding a therapist to suit this specific issue.

Using apps that track your digital behavior can also be a good way to take control of your porn addiction and self-manage your mental health:

• Track when depression levels or impulse levels are high and then implement healthy interventions like exercise, calling a friend, therapy, joining a support group, meditating, etc., to prevent negative outcomes like binge-watching porn to feel better.
• Be alert to the possibility of undiagnosed depression or ADHD, and get evaluated to prevent the negative consequences of not being treated,  
• Measure if the steps you are taking to reduce porn addiction are actually working by tracking your daily habits (or Mental Health Similarity Scores in the Behavidence app) and seeing the improvement daily and over time.

What Does Treatment Look Like?

Choudhary indicates that the treatment for porn addiction and depression or any other mental illness will always be customized, i.e., it will be client-centered and based on the symptoms and preferences of the client. Here are some available options:

• Individual therapy: It is recommended because becoming aware of triggers and finding healthier ways of managing them can prove very useful. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other therapeutic approaches are often readily available. 
• Group therapy: Clients can meet with people struggling with similar issues and learn coping mechanisms that’ll help them overcome the day-to-day challenges of porn addiction. Such groups are often readily available but may become a more challenging effort on the clients’ part if they may have social anxiety or are struggling with severe depression.
• Medication along with therapy: If there is an underlying mental health condition such as depression or an anxiety disorder present, medication may be a component of treatment alongside the psychotherapeutic and behavioral interventions.
• Inpatient Treatment: Someone with severe symptoms of a porn addiction may benefit from a period of inpatient or residential treatment where they live at the care center. This option allows people to remove stressors from the outside world to focus on rehabilitation exclusively. Programs like these normally last between 28 and 90 days, with some longer treatments available.

You may also consider spiritual counseling with your pastor if your concerns are religious in nature.